The present invention relates to the field of computers and computer systems. More particularly, this invention relates to a circuit board retaining assembly for installing or removing computer hardware in a computer chassis and to a method for using the retaining assembly of the present invention.
Computer circuit boards in the art typically include a mounting bracket for mounting the circuit board in a computer and a connector mounted on the mounting bracket for establishing a connection between the circuit board and the computer. The mounting brackets are fabricated from steel, and include a cutout to assist in positioning the circuit board within the computer and one or more board support tabs for supporting is and retaining the circuit board mounted on the bracket. Circuit boards are installed in the computer by loosening or removing the mounting screw from threaded screw holes in the I/O area of the chassis, fitting the board under the loosened mounting screw, and tightening the screw over the cutout to secure the bracket against the computer chassis.
It has long been the practice in the computer industry that any circuit board work performed on a computer is performed on a bench or work surface to minimize the potential for losing the mounting screws. It has also been the practice that before a circuit board is installed in or removed from a computer system, the computer has to be shut down and the power to the system must be turned off. Where this service is not performed carefully or in the proper environment, the mounting screws can become lost either outside of the computer or within the computer itself. Loss of the mounting screws outside the computer creates the inconvenience of having to find the screws or replace them with suitable replacement screws. Loss of the mounting screws within the computer raises the added risk of short-circuiting the computer or injury to the person performing the service. Despite these risks, such practices were heretofore common in the industry.
Other devices have been produced to facilitate the installation or removal of computer hardware on a computer system, and to do so also while the computer is still in operation (e.g., xe2x80x9chot-swappedxe2x80x9d). Typical of the art are those assemblies that include a series of plastic clips that are mounted to the side of the frame of the computer chassis and which slide over the end of the PCI or expansion card once the card is inserted into place. These devices are however ineffective substitutes for the screws as they fail to positively secure the card in the computer. They also fail to prevent the possibility that the boards may detach from the chassis due to the vibrations that are incident to the normal operation of the computer. Accordingly, a circuit board retaining assembly that permits computer hardware to be mounted in a computer chassis while the computer is in operation, without risk of loss of the mounting hardware, is desired.
This invention addresses the above described disadvantages by providing a positive acting circuit board retaining assembly for hot-swapping computer hardware in a computer chassis without concern for the loss of hardware mounting devices.
The circuit board retaining assembly includes a mounting bracket for mounting the assembly to the chassis of a computer, a lever pivotally extending from the mounting bracket for releasably engaging a circuit board at a cutout, and a lever biasing member for biasing the lever away from the chassis so that the board can be installed in or removed from the computer chassis. The mounting bracket includes at least one mounting opening for mounting the retaining assembly on the chassis, and a lever opening for receiving the lever. The lever includes a first end for releasably engaging the circuit board cutout and a second end for being positioned in the lever opening. The lever-biasing member is disposed between the mounting bracket and the lever to bias the lever away from the chassis when the circuit board is hot-swapped into or from the computer.
In use, the circuit board retaining assembly is mounted on the computer chassis near the I/O ports on the rear of the chassis. One or more fasteners are inserted through mounting openings to secure the mounting bracket to the chassis, and one or more PCI or expansion cards are inserted into to or removed from the appropriate slots in the chassis to modify the capacity of the computer, as desired.
The present invention also provides a method for installing or removing computer hardware in a computer using the retaining assembly of the present invention. The method includes the steps of mounting the assembly to the chassis, disengaging the lever from the mounting bracket, installing or removing hardware in the chassis, and reengaging the lever in the mounting bracket to releasably secures the hardware in the chassis.